Taking 2 new A Levels in gap year, urgent advice needed

OP

Original post by H.Ibrahim

Have you considered resitting those C's to get A's and hiring a tutor during your gap year to boost those grades up, funded by a part time job maybe?

I can't do Chemistry and Maths, no tutor can teach me how to do it, I'm **** however hard I try, worked insanely hard, even lost weight and stuff, Im bad to the extent that I thought I got 90 UMS in an exam but I actually got 55! :frown:

thank you so much for replying I really appreciate it

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

Lemon Haze

20

I'm retaking, I work so I'll pay whatever the exam fees are + maybe private tutoring. It might be impossible depending on my marks but I want to go from CCD to BBC!

One reason why an elite university may not accept you is because you would have completed your course over 3 years, I recommend calling the universities you were looking at and ask to see if you still have a chance!

Reply 4

Yousf

13

Original post by PsychoPanda

Hi, i'm going to put this shortly

got 10A*GCSE so I know I'm not dumb

chose wrong A Levels, (Maths, F Maths Chem) and one I could do (Geog)

Scraped through AS and got offer from elite unis on course of choice (social science based)

Get to A2 Level results day and have completely ****ed up even through I tried hard and worked solidly

Got ACCD (C) in Geography, Maths, Chem, Further Maths and AS Physics respectively. Didn't even revise for A level Geography and got an A as was so busy desperately trying to do Maths. School was telling me I was capable and I foolishly believed and kept pushing.

Obviously missed offer from elite unis

Nothing worthwhile in clearing.

Now I am really in a mess. Want to take A Level Econ and Sociology in one year, parents refusing to pay for me to go to college (only private colleges do a one year course). I understand why they don't want to pay now after what I've done. Going to self teach and pay for occasional one to one tuition myself with part time job. I refuse to resit the C's as a simply can't do the subjects and have finally accepted this fact.

Will elite universités take my application seriously now that I have made such a catastrophe of my life and can anyone please offer me any advice as I am an absolute mess.

:frown:

what was your as grades?

Reply 5

OP

Original post by Yousf

what was your as grades?

ABBBC

my school was private so we didn't state our A Levels, only my predicted grades were sent to the uni which were.
A*AAAA

They told me I had the ability but just hadn't worked hard enough, and I took their word for it.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Lemon Haze

I'm retaking, I work so I'll pay whatever the exam fees are + maybe private tutoring. It might be impossible depending on my marks but I want to go from CCD to BBC!

One reason why an elite university may not accept you is because you would have completed your course over 3 years, I recommend calling the universities you were looking at and ask to see if you still have a chance!

Hi thanks for the reply, my case is so unusual as I technically wouldn't be retaking (taking AS and A2 I have never done before in one year).

I will email them and ask, thank you for suggesting.

I hope you do it and prove people wrong! keep in touch x

Reply 7

Original post by PsychoPanda

Hi, i'm going to put this shortly

got 10A*GCSE so I know I'm not dumb

chose wrong A Levels, (Maths, F Maths Chem) and one I could do (Geog)

Scraped through AS and got offer from elite unis on course of choice (social science based)

Get to A2 Level results day and have completely ****ed up even through I tried hard and worked solidly

Got ACCD (C) in Geography, Maths, Chem, Further Maths and AS Physics respectively. Didn't even revise for A level Geography and got an A as was so busy desperately trying to do Maths. School was telling me I was capable and I foolishly believed and kept pushing.

Obviously missed offer from elite unis

Nothing worthwhile in clearing.

Now I am really in a mess. Want to take A Level Econ and Sociology in one year, parents refusing to pay for me to go to college (only private colleges do a one year course). I understand why they don't want to pay now after what I've done. Going to self teach and pay for occasional one to one tuition myself with part time job. I refuse to resit the C's as a simply can't do the subjects and have finally accepted this fact.

Will elite universités take my application seriously now that I have made such a catastrophe of my life and can anyone please offer me any advice as I am an absolute mess.

:frown:

I'm doing the same thing: ****ed up my Scottish Advanced Highers, I've decided to do Maths, FM and Econ in a year through self study and 1-to-1 tutor input. Maths was the only alright grade (2 marks from an A :frown:

).

Called up:
Oxford, Warwick, Durham, Imperial, Bristol and KCL; they all said it was completely fine. Hell, I told the senior admissions tutor for Computer Science at Oxford everything and he assured me they would just base it off of the A-levels I'm taking and that I should apply anyway.

Obviously, you need to have good predictions and somewhat of an explanation of your situation in your reference.

Good luck to you man, hope it works out this year.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Princepieman

I'm doing the same thing: ****ed up my Scottish Advanced Highers, I've decided to do Maths, FM and Econ in a year through self study and 1-to-1 tutor input. Maths was the only alright grade (2 marks from an A :frown:

).

Called up:
Oxford, Warwick, Durham, Imperial, Bristol and KCL; they all said it was completely fine. Hell, I told the senior admissions tutor for Computer Science at Oxford everything and he assured me they would just base it off of the A-levels I'm taking and that I should apply anyway.

Obviously, you need to have good predictions and somewhat of an explanation of your situation in your reference.

Good luck to you man, hope it works out this year.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Finally someone 'like' me, was feeling so lost/ end of the world. I missed LSE btw, want to reapply for different course, everyone is telling me I am bonkers and need to go to a therapist for thinking they'd possibly take me seriously again!

Let me know how it goes, all the best, praying for a bloody miracle

Reply 9

Ezme39

19

So, you're doing essentially 2 AS and 2 A2 in one year, and self-teaching most of it? That sounds like an awful lot of work, and riskier than retakes (even if you think you're bad at the subjects!)..
Would you be tempted, for example, to retake maths and only take up one new subject? :smile:

But I do think that a lot of Russell Group unis would consider you for their courses. If I were you, I would write a clear and standard email explaining your situation, and send it to tonnes of unis- just to double check

Reply 10

Original post by PsychoPanda

Finally someone 'like' me, was feeling so lost/ end of the world. I missed LSE btw, want to reapply for different course, everyone is telling me I am bonkers and need to go to a therapist for thinking they'd possibly take me seriously again!

Let me know how it goes, all the best, praying for a bloody miracle

You aren't a psycho! Many people have re-applied after taking new a-levels/resitting and a lot of the advice on TSR is misguided on the way unis treat candidates like us.

Will do, you should keep in touch as well - we can motivate ourselves.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

SteelManatee

16

Original post by Princepieman

I'm doing the same thing: ****ed up my Scottish Advanced Highers, I've decided to do Maths, FM and Econ in a year through self study and 1-to-1 tutor input. Maths was the only alright grade (2 marks from an A :frown:

).

Called up:
Oxford, Warwick, Durham, Imperial, Bristol and KCL; they all said it was completely fine. Hell, I told the senior admissions tutor for Computer Science at Oxford everything and he assured me they would just base it off of the A-levels I'm taking and that I should apply anyway.

Obviously, you need to have good predictions and somewhat of an explanation of your situation in your reference.

Good luck to you man, hope it works out this year.

Posted from TSR Mobile

You managed to get onto the phone with the admissions tutor at Oxford? :tongue:

Also, did you have extenuating circumstances during your Scottish Higher years ?

Reply 12

Original post by SheLikeTheMango

You managed to get onto the phone with the admissions tutor at Oxford? :tongue:

Also, did you have extenuating circumstances during your Scottish Higher years ?

Yeah, he was really nice about it all and told me it was fine and he understands that external factors can affect exam performance. He also said, if I got a very high mark in the MAT, I would be shortlisted for interview.

Indeed I do.

Reply 13

SteelManatee

16

Original post by Princepieman

Yeah, he was really nice about it all and told me it was fine and he understands that external factors can affect exam performance. He also said, if I got a very high mark in the MAT, I would be shortlisted for interview.

Indeed I do.

Wow, I didn't think Oxford would be that nice :tongue:

Was there a number for the Admissions tutor? There's a number for the UCL Economics one but it gets put through to an automated voice :/

Reply 14

Original post by SheLikeTheMango

Wow, I didn't think Oxford would be that nice :tongue:

Was there a number for the Admissions tutor? There's a number for the UCL Economics one but it gets put through to an automated voice :/

They are a stark contrast to Cambridge who said they don't like to take on those who've underperformed first time, even with extenuating circumstances.

Just ring up the admissions team, and ask to be transferred to the Econ department.

Reply 15

OP